Author: TechBrunch

Privacy-focused messaging app Signal is adding new features for video calls, including links, reactions, and call tabs, as it aims to serve as an alternative to Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The highlight of the update is the new Calls tab, where you can make new calls, manage call links, and review your call history. Image credit: Signal This tab allows you to create links for calls, so instead of creating a group, you can simply share the link with others, similar to what Meet, Zoom, and Teams do. Links are reusable, so you can also use them for…

Vintage clothing has exploded as a category over the past few decades. A London start-up that has built a first-of-its-kind platform to improve the way this highly fragmented industry operates has announced funding to double down on this opportunity. Fleek, an online marketplace that connects used clothing wholesalers and retailers, has raised $20.4 million ($14.8 million in Series A and $5.6 million in seed, first announced today) to continue expanding its platform. Fleek says it has worked with around 10,000 resellers and retailers in 70 countries and moved 2.5 million pieces of used clothing from 1,000 wholesalers. This investment comes…

SoftBank has announced that Vision Fund co-CEO Rajeev Misra will soon step down from his leadership role at the company's flagship technology investment vehicle, leaving one of the Japanese group's most prominent dealmakers behind. He announced that he was retiring. The company announced on Tuesday that Misra, who helped guide the $100 billion Vision Fund through both its explosive rise and ensuing difficulties, will step down as co-head of SoftBank Investment Advisors and SoftBank Global Advisors. announced that he would resign. Alex Clavel will assume sole leadership as CEO of both divisions. The move comes after Misra stepped down from…

On average, Agicap customers manage 15 different bank accounts each. As a result, chief financial officers (CFOs) working at these companies need to make sure they have enough funds in the right bank accounts to pay their employees and suppliers across various subsidiaries, countries, and currencies. You may have a hard time. This is also why we look to Agicap to centralize cash-related data and predict future cash positions. The Lyon-based startup received a series C funding round of €45 million (approximately €4,800 at current exchange rates) from a single investor, AVP, the VC firm formerly known as Axa Venture…

Tozero, a Munich-based startup that recovers valuable raw materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries, is preparing to scale up. The startup just closed an oversubscribed seed round of €11 million (approximately $11.7 million) to build its first industrial deployment (also known as first-of-its-kind or FOAK) plant and ramp up production. Currently, Tozero's pilot plant processes 9 tons of lithium-ion battery waste per day, but the startup is aiming for unlimited production capacity with the hope of expanding its operations in the next few years. . “Other competitors are raising even more money to get to their factories. But our processes and…

Qwant, France’s privacy-focused search engine, and Ecosia, a Berlin-based not-for-profit search engine that uses ad revenue to fund tree planting and other climate-focused initiatives, are joining forces on a joint venture to develop their own European search index. The pair hopes this move will help drive innovation in their respective search engines — including and especially around generative AI — as well as reducing dependence on search indexes provided by tech giants Microsoft (Bing) and Google. Both currently rely on Bing’s search APIs while Ecosia also uses Google’s search results. Rising API costs are one clear motivator for the move…

The majority of Japan's aging population still prefers to use cash for transactions, according to a recent report citing government data. According to the Japanese government, the total amount of cashless transactions in Japan in 2023 was 126.7 trillion yen ($885 billion), accounting for 39.3% of all domestic spending. The government hopes this number will reach 40% by 2025. The Japanese government's efforts to increase cashless transactions are being supported by SmartBank, a Tokyo-based startup that provides apps and services to help people easily transition to cashless payments. Shota Horii (SmartBank CEO), along with his twin brother Yuta Horii (CTO)…

Intudo, Indonesia's only venture capital firm, announced that it has raised $125 million across two investment funds. That includes $75 million in Intudo Ventures IV and $50 million in a separate fund that invests in downstream natural resources and renewable energy. Intudo said Fund IV will invest in Indonesian startups that take advantage of Indonesia's location, digital advancements and growing middle class population, namely the country's startups in sectors such as consumer products, aquaculture, horticulture, commercial distribution, regulation and regulation. He said he would invest in companies that leverage their strengths. and deep tech startups. Another fund will be the…

While India's urban population is shifting away from mom-and-pop stores to quick commerce platforms, rural India, home to more than 800 million people, remains heavily dependent on offline businesses for daily consumption. Wheelocity aims to transform this untapped market and make it easier for people living outside the top 200 cities in the country to shop online. Founded in September 2021, the Chennai-headquartered startup pivoted from its previous B2B supply chain business for quick commerce platforms to building a platform that solves e-commerce access for people living in semi-urban areas. Moved. and a rural area commonly referred to as 'Bharat'.…

Apple will soon let you share the location of lost or misplaced items, such as an iPhone, MacBook, or anything with an attached AirTag, with people other than your contacts via the Find My app using a link. is. The company is currently testing the feature in the iOS 18.2 public beta after introducing it in the 18.2 developer beta earlier this month. Apple says the feature is intended to make it easier to find lost items by sharing your location with third parties, such as taxi drivers and airline employees. In the coming months, nearly 20 airlines will begin…